Matteo Berrettini withdraws from match against Carlos Alcaraz with 62-word statement
Matteo Berrettini has confirmed that he will not be able to play his third round match against Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Masters.
The blockbuster match was set to take place on Thursday, 5th November, but the Italian has confirmed he is unable to play.
Alcaraz set the match up by defeating Alex Michelsen in his first match at the Paris Masters, while Berrettini beat Brandon Nakashima and Ugo Humbert to reach the third round.
However, Berrettini has been confirmed to join the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina by withdrawing from the event after it has started.
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Taking to Instagram just hours before the players were set to take to the court, Berrettini wrote in Italian: “Hi everyone, unfortunately the arm pain I’ve been dealing with for the past few days means I won’t be able to take the court tonight…
“Over the next few days, I’ll undergo all the necessary check-ups to better understand what’s going on. Thank you all for the support and affection you show me every single day, both on and off the court.”
It is currently unclear what the issue with Berrettini is, but this has been a running theme for the Italian over the last few years.
In 2026 alone, Berrettini has been forced to retire mid-match in his Roland Garros quarterfinal against Matteo Arnaldi, which meant he missed nearly a month of action before Wimbledon.
The decision also means we miss another installment in the very entertaining ATP Tour rivalry between Alcaraz and Berrettini.
The pair are firm friends and they often bring their best when they play each other in the sport.
Alcaraz currently leads the head-to-head with three victories from their four matches, with his only defeat coming at the Australian Open in 2022.
The Spaniard has beaten the Italian at Wimbledon, the Rio Open, and the Vienna Open throughout the years, but he will not get another chance to play the star in the 2026 season.
As for Alcaraz, he has been confirmed to progress through to the quarterfinals for just the second time in his career. He will await the winner of Arthur Fils or Taylor Fritz in the last eight of the final Masters tournament on the ATP Tour calendar.
Alcaraz is the highest ranked player left in the tournament after the early exit to Alexander Zverev at the hands of Lorenzo Musetti.
The Spaniard has also been buoyed by the early exits of Daniil Medvedev, Frances Tiafoe, and Alex de Minaur and he will now be the overwhelming favourite to win the title for the first time in his career.
Alcaraz’s match against either Fils or Fritz will take place on Friday, 6th November, with the order of play yet to be confirmed by the tournament.
